To the Hon. the Judge of the St. Louis CircuitCircuit CourtCourtCircuit Court.

The Petition of Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson , a man of Color aged about thirty years, as represents to your honor, that he
wasborn a slave in theState of
VirginiaState of Virginia, when he resided the yeareighteen hundred and thirty five, that in the
spring of that year, your petition was boughtby his master one CharlesCharles Drexler to St. LouisSt Louis in
the State ofMissouriMissouriMissouri, when he resided until the spring of the yeareighteen hundred and thirty nine, that in the month
of March or April of the year last named his master the
said CharlesCharles Drexler sold your petitioner to
one DoctorSamuelSamuelProsserProsser , who is a
brother of said Drexler wife, that said said DoctorSamuelSamuelProsserProsser then resided and new resides at
JacksonvilleJacksonville in the State of IllinoisIllinois, that said ProsserProsser immediately after becoming the owner of your
petition to wit in the month of April of the year
eighteen hundred and thirty nine, took your petitioner from
St. LouisSt Louis in the State of MissouriMissouri, and conveyed him to theCounty of
MorganCounty of Morgan in the State of IllinoisIllinois, and then held him to labor and service
on his the said ProsserProsser farm situate
within four miles of JacksonvilleJacksonville in the said County of Morgan State of
IllinoisIllinois, from the said
month of April until the month of December in the same year, being for a
period of about eight months that
petition was employed during said time at ordinary farming labor for the
said ProsserProsser that in the month of December of said year last named
there began to be deal of talk
in the neighborhood about said ProsserProsser holding petitions as a slave in
said State of IllinoisIllinois, and saidProsserProsser framing the information of the
authorities there, came from JacksonvilleJacksonville in a carriage with his father
in law to his farm when your petitioner was at work, putand drove off
and bought petition

to St. LouisSt Louis in the State of MissouriMissouri, and
then hired him out, and now does and was since has received the rewards of petitioners labor. That petitioner now is and has been for the
last two years and in the possession of one MiltonMilton W HopkinsW. HopkinsMilton W Hopkins , who holds
petitioners in slavery as a ProsserProsser . Your petitioner believes that he
is entitled to his freedom, and prays your for leave to see as a poor person, in false
imprisonment against said MiltonMilton W HopkinsW HopkinsMilton W Hopkins , in order to establish his right to freedom, and he will
pray &c.